Sealing casing head



Sept 18, 1928.

w. L. M LAINE ET AL SEALING CASINGHEAD Filed Jan. 12, 1924 Q S H 0 Z Wm M Q v M W M w EW ir B v J W 3 I v m a Q ii. Jazz"? .v y f\\H ?1////,/, 2. N .|r-, w V 10.

W. rw a w 'AT QRNEYS.

Patented Sept; 18, 1928.'

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. MCLAINE AND WILLARD Ir. BOROUGH, 015 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SEALING CASING HEAD.

' Application filed January 12, 1924. Serial No. 685,870.

This invention relates to theoil'well in dustry and relates more particularly to a casing head which maybe of especial value in the art.

There is a critical period in the drilling blowing in before desired, the hole is kept full of heavy mud which supplies a superhydrostatic head which holds back the gas and oil pressure, the mud entering into the oil formations in manner to clog them and prevent a premature flow of 011. After setting the casing while the well is still full of mud, the casing is readyto be cemented; During the 'cementingoperation, 1t ISADGCQS-I sary to have considerable pressure to force the cement to. the lower end of the casing.

A casing head is used to keep a pressure in the well, the cement being pumped into the well through a lateral connection in the casing head. After the cement has hardened and the casing held securely in place, the cement inside the casing is drilled out to allow the oil to flow. By keeping considerable pressure by means of mud pumped through the casing head, the flow of oil may be resisted until the drill bit or other tools, have been removed. After suitable piping has been rigged up, ,the oil may then be allowed to flow from the well completely under control. It is an object of the invention to present a casing head which may have a decidedv advantage over other casing heads because'of its use during the various stages of the well v body 12 at 36may be screwed down so that and because of its simplicity in construction as will hereinafter be explained. It is another object to'provide a casing head having a very simple packing arrangevment which may be readily installed and removed.

The especial advantages of the invention and further objects thereof willbe made ob- .vious hereinafter. v

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only: I Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the application of our invention.

Fig.2 is a section taken through an embodiment of our invention;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on a plane represented by the line 3-3 of Fi 2. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings,

the casing head 11 of my invention comprises a body 12 which threads into the collar 13 of an oil well casing. The body 12 provides a central bore 15 through which the tubing 16 extends and shown. v Y 111 the counterbore or packing chamber 19 located at the upper end .of the body 12,

has lateral "openings 17 as which counterbore is concentricwith the bore 15, is situated the packing arrangement 21. packmg arrangement consists of a lower ring 22 \vlnch rests on the shoulder 23 of the body 12. Above thering 22, the packing element 24 placed; this element may be made of any of the well-known packing materials, and above the packing element' 24, an. upper ring 25 is situated. v

changeable and thepossibility of improperlyplacmg the rings is, therefore obviated] The tubing 16. extends through the packing From Fig.2 it will be seen that the rings arrangement 21- asshown and the coupling such a manner that the weight of the entire .29 rests on the edge 30 of the-ring 25 in I The weight onthe ring 25compresses the element 24 andthe'V-shaped'face 27, of the .ring' 25 forces the element bothinwardly and outwardly fromzthe' point of the V" so I thatthe element isforced in contact with thetubing 16 and the-counterbore 1.9, sufiiciently to prevent the passage of mud, oi l or gas therebetween;

The bonnet 3,5 which screws onto the the beveled annular face 37 will clamp down .on the coupling 29, 'holdingthe tubing .16

securelyin place' so that any excessive gas pressure can not dislodge it. The set screw which mud may be introduced mto the well and through which the cement may be pumped for cementing the well. The pipes may also be used for relieving any excesslve' gas pressure in the well, The tubing 16 extends upwardly and is directed laterally from the derrick, a valve 43 being provided to control thefiow of oil therethrough. Another featureof the invention is that, when Ithe packing arrangementis removed, the

inside diameter of the casing head is the same diameter as that of the casing so that i if necessary any'tools which will enter the casing will also pass through the casing .head.

We claim as our' invention:

" I 1-. The combination of a casing headcomprisingza'tubular body member having a counter-b'oreformed therein; tubing extending through said casingflhead; packing means aroundsaid tubing within said countcr-bore' comprising a pair of interchangeable rings, each of which has an annular wedge face. formed opposite aradialgface thereof, and a compressible meinber (disposed between said rings so as to be engaged by one of sand wedge faces, the other. of said wedge ffacesengaginga complementary shoulder of said counter-bore; and a coupling secured counter-bore formed therein; tubing cxtending through said'casing'head'; packing means around said tubing within said counter-bore comprising a pair of'inte'rchangeable rings, each of which has an annular wedge facefan'd a compressible member disposed-between said ringsso as to be engaged wedge "faces engaging a. complementary sho'ul'derLof said counter-bore; and 'a coupling secured 'to the upper end of said tub- In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands at- Los Angeles, California, this 7th' day of January, 1924. a

WILLIAM L. McLAIN-E. WILLARD- BOROUGH.

.by' one of said wedge faces, the other of said I i '40 ing and adapted to engage said packing .means to support sald tublng. 

